West Virginia: millionaire amendment triggered

The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports: U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, already far ahead in fundraising in his re-election race, will be able to collect triple what he previously could from donors, after opponent John Raese tripped the Federal Election Commission’s “millionaire’s provision” last week.

Raese, a multimillionaire Republican businessman from Morgantown, added more than $250,000 of his own money to his campaign coffers last week. Altogether, he has loaned or given about $1.15 million to his own campaign.

Under a convoluted FEC formula involving the amount given, population of the state and amount the opponent has raised, it tripped the clause meant to make elections fairer. -- Sunday Gazette-Mail - News